5.5.1

5 Click Create parameter/attribute in workflow to create a workflow attribute.
a Name the attribute timerDate.
b Select Date from the list of attribute types.
c Select Create workflow ATTRIBUTE with the same name.
d Leave the attribute value set to Not set, because a scripted function will provide this value.
e Click OK.
6 Click the Scripting tab for the scripted workflow element.
7 Define a function to calculate and generate a Date object named timerDate in the scripting pad in the
Scripting tab.
For example, you can create a Date object by implementing the following JavaScript function, in which
the timeout period is a relative delay in milliseconds.
timerDate = new Date();
System.log( "Current date : '" + timerDate + "'" );
timerDate.setTime( timerDate.getTime() + (86400 * 1000) );
System.log( "Timer will expire at '" + timerDate + "'" );
The preceding example JavaScript function defines a Date object that obtains the current date and time
by using the getTime method and adds 86,400,000 milliseconds, or 24 hours. The Scriptable Task
element generates this value as its output parameter.
8 Click Close.
9 Click Save.
You created a function that calculates a time and date relative to the current time and date and generates a
Date object. A User Interaction element can receive this Date object as an input parameter to set the timeout
period until which it waits for input from the user. When the workflow arrives at the User Interaction
element, it suspends its run and waits either until the user provides the required information, or for 24
hours before it times out.
What to do next
You must bind the Date object to the User Interaction element's timeout.date parameter. See “Set the
timeout.date Attribute to a Relative Date,” on page 50.
Set the timeout.date Attribute to a Relative Date
You can set the timeout.date attribute of a User Interaction element to a relative time and date by binding it
to a Date object. You define the object in a scripted function.
If you create a relative Date object in a scripted function, you can bind the timeout.date attribute of a user
interaction to this Date object. For example, if you bind the timeout.date attribute to a Date object that adds
24 hours to the current time, the user interaction times out after waiting for 24 hours.
Prerequisites
n
Add a user interaction element to the workflow schema.
n
Set the security.group attribute for the user interaction.
n
Create a scripted function that calculates a relative time and date and encapsulates it in a Date object in
the workflow. See “Calculate a Relative Timeout for User Interactions,” on page 49.
Developing with VMware vCenter Orchestrator
50 VMware, Inc.